baseballfandomcom-20200222-history
Bowling Green Falcons
The Bowling Green Falcons baseball team are the baseball team that represents Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school's team currently plays in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference in NCAA Division I since 1953. The Falcons have played in two NCAA Tournaments, going in and . The Falcons have won twelve regular season conference championships (7 NWOIAA, 5 MAC), six East Division championships, and two conference tournament championships. The most recent regular-season championship came in 2009. The 1921 Bowling Green Normals baseball team was the first athletic team at the university to win a title, when they finished 6-1-2 in the Northwestern Ohio Intercollegiate Athletic Association. History Early Years The first baseball team at Bowling Green Normal College was established in 1915 under the guide of head coach F.G. Beyerman and finished their inaugural campaign at 1-3. The program would not reach varsity level until 1918, playing their first game on May 3, 1918 defeating Defiance College 4–3 in 7 innings. The Normals would finish the 1918 season 2-1 defeating Bluffton College 6–5 and losing a rematch with Defiance 13–3. Bowling Green joined the Northwestern Ohio Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1921 and finished the season 6-1-2, good enough to make the Normals NWOIAA champions in their first year in the conference. The 1921 Normals baseball team would be the first athletic program at Bowling Green to win a title of any sort. Bowling Green would win six more NWOIAA titles (1922, 1925–26, 1928, 1931–32), before deciding to leave the conference and become an independent. Move to the MAC In 1953, Bowling Green would become a member of the Mid-American Conference, following rival and former NWOIAA conference mate Toledo who joined in 1951. In their first season in the MAC, the Falcons would go 8-6 including a 4-4 conference record which would place them 3rd in the conference. Bowling Green would not win their first MAC crown until 1972 when they posted a 24-12-2 record (6-2-1 MAC) and were invited to the NCAA District IV Tournament. The Falcons would defeat Northern Illinois 2–0 and Central Michigan 7–5 in 10 innings, but fell just short of a birth to the College World Series as they lost 7–2 and 7–5 to Iowa. Since moving to the MAC, Bowling Green has won six more regular season championships (1995, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2008) and two conference tournament championships (1998–99). The Falcons were the MAC's representative in the 1999 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and were selected to compete as the 4th seed in the Columbus Regional, hosted by Ohio State. The Falcons would go 0-2, losing to 1st seed Ohio State 4–1 and then lost in the loser's bracket 10–5 to the 2nd seed Nebraska. Danny Schmitz era Since 1991, Danny Schmitz has been the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons having replaced Ed Platzer. In Schmitz's first season as head coach, the Falcons posted a 16-39-1 (7-23) record and finished 9th in the MAC. Schmitz would turn the program around in his fourth season (1994) posting a 29-18 (16-10) record, finishing 3rd in the MAC. He would lead the Falcons to their second MAC crown the following year posting a 34-20 (22-8) record. Under Schmitz' watch, the Falcons have won five regular-season conference championships, six East Division titles, two conference tournament championships, and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Schmitz is second longest tenured coach in the program's history, only behind Warren E. Steller (31 seasons) and is the programs all-time winningest manager with 489 wins. Schmitz became the program's all-time winningest coach on March 26, 2000 after the Falcons defeated Buffalo 3–2. Warren E. Steller Field Warren E. Steller Field has been home to the Falcons baseball team since 1964. The field is named in honor of Warren E. Steller, a former instructor at the school who coached the school's football (1924–34) and baseball (1925, 1928–59) teams. The stadium is located on the Bowling Green campus, next to BGSU Ice Arena and across the street from Perry Field House. Season-by-season results This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Falcons. For the full season-by-season history, see Bowling Green Falcons seasons ''Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Win% = Winning percentage'' Records as of the end of the 2011 season. Head coaches *''Records are through the end of the 2008 Season'' :1 - Records for 1916 and 1917 are unknown :2 - Bowling Green did not field teams in 1935 and 1937 due to lack of funds and a playing site Notable alumni * Burke Badenhop - pitcher, currently with the Florida Marlins. * Doug Bair - retired pitcher, 2-time World Series champion. * Orel Hershiser - retired pitcher, member of 1988 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-time All-Star, 1988 Cy Young Award winner and 1988 World Series MVP. * Nolan Reimold - outfielder, currently with the Baltimore Orioles. * Andy Tracy - first baseman, currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. References External links *Official site of Bowling Green Falcons baseball * Category:Mid-American Conference Category:College baseball teams Category:NCAA baseball teams Category:Teams in Ohio